California has unique contract laws that can void provisions valid in other states. Non-competes are banned. Consumer protection is aggressive. Indemnification rules differ. I am a California-barred attorney who reviews contracts with CA-specific knowledge.
Not sure? Email me the contract and I will recommend the right tier.
Rush turnaround: 24-48 hour rush may be available for an added fee. Email the contract first; I will confirm rush feasibility before you pay.
These are anonymized examples from recent client work with California-specific issues. Every review is done by me personally, not by AI and not by a paralegal.
Tech employee in San Francisco received offer letter with nationwide non-compete for 12 months post-termination. I flagged the clause as void under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §16600. Employer attempted to enforce it anyway.
Commercial lease in Los Angeles with unlimited personal guarantee from business owner. Identified anti-deficiency issues under CCP §580b. Guarantee exposed owner to liability exceeding lease value.
SaaS vendor contract processing California consumer data. No data processing addendum. No CCPA compliance provisions. Client faced regulatory exposure under Cal. Civ. Code §1798.140 requirements.
Gig economy platform contract classified workers as independent contractors. Agreement failed Dynamex ABC test under Cal. Lab. Code §2775. Platform faced misclassification liability and penalties.
California contract law is different from every other state. These are the issues I look for that out-of-state attorneys miss.
Email the agreement as PDF, Word, or even a photo. Tell me your concerns and what you are trying to accomplish. If the contract involves California parties or California law, mention that.
I reply with the recommended tier, the flat fee, and the turnaround time. I will also flag any California-specific issues I notice immediately. No work starts until you approve.
You get a marked-up copy with risks highlighted, California compliance issues flagged, replacement language where needed, and a plain-English explanation of what matters and what does not.
I explain what to push back on and how. If you need the clauses rewritten to comply with California law, I handle that in the Review + Revision tier.
Send me the contract. I will confirm the right tier, the fee, and what I need from you.
Send Me Your Contract →700+ reviews on Upwork
"Very detailed and timely responses to all my queries. He was very knowledgeable of California Employment Contract Law and did a very good job of explaining all the nuances and options. I would recommend and hire again."
"Sergei caught CCPA issues in our SaaS contract that would have exposed us to regulatory risk. He drafted a compliant data processing addendum and explained California privacy law in clear terms. The vendor accepted our redlines without pushback."
"I needed someone who understood California's ABC test for contractor classification. Sergei restructured our agreement to comply with Dynamex and explained the liability exposure we avoided. Worth every dollar."
California has unique contract laws that differ from every other state. Non-competes are banned under Bus. & Prof. Code §16600. The ABC test governs independent contractor classification. CCPA triggers specific data privacy obligations. Anti-indemnity statutes limit certain provisions. I am California-barred and know these issues by memory. An out-of-state attorney may miss them.
Written Email Evaluation ($125): I read the contract (up to 30 pages), identify the highest-risk clauses, and send a written attorney evaluation with plain-English risk summary and California-specific issues flagged. Two business day turnaround. No redrafting at this tier. Create or Redline Existing Contract ($575): I review every clause, flag all risks, check California law compliance, and deliver redlined edits plus a clean recommended version. Includes up to three rounds of email-based revisions. Unusual scope (multi-document review, extended negotiation, very long contracts) is billed at $240 per hour.
I flag non-compete clauses (void under Bus. & Prof. Code §16600), CCPA/CPRA compliance gaps, independent contractor agreements that fail the ABC test (Dynamex), anti-indemnity violations, consumer protection issues under CLRA, prevailing wage requirements, auto-renewal disclosure violations (Bus. & Prof. Code §17600), and California choice-of-law enforceability.
Written Email Evaluation: 2 business days from receipt. Create or Redline Existing Contract: usually 3-5 business days from receipt of the contract and any context, depending on length and complexity. Rush 24-48 hour turnaround may be available for an added fee on either tier. Email the contract first and I will confirm rush feasibility before you pay. If a complex matter genuinely needs more time, I will tell you up front.
Yes. The $575 Create or Redline tier includes redlined replacement language you can send directly to the other side, plus negotiation guidance explaining which points are worth pushing on. Up to three rounds of email-based revisions are included at the flat fee. If you need me to engage directly with the counterparty's attorney by email or phone, that can be arranged at $240 per hour.
No. I review contracts for clients nationwide. If the contract is governed by California law, or if the other party is in California, or if you live or work in California, my California-specific knowledge is directly applicable. If the contract is governed by another state's law, I can still review it for general risk and structure, though I may flag jurisdiction-specific issues for local counsel.